Assistant Director (Early Intervention & Prevention)

About The Role

Assistant Director Early Intervention & Prevention

Grade: SS3

Salary: £91,985 to £101,692 per annum

Location: Manchester

Contract Type: Full-Time, Permanent

Closing Date: 6th November 2025

Manchester prides itself on being a warm and inviting city with something to offer to everyone. We are committed to bringing about a more inclusive city, where people have access to top class education and training, and where the economic opportunities that such a vibrant city creates are accessible to all.

We have a whole city approach to building a safe, happy, healthy and successful future for all children and young people. We have made great strides in our progress and impact for inclusion in the UNICEF programme for accreditation of child friendly city status. In Children and Education Services, we are recognised for our reforms and innovation, and this has contributed towards delivering excellence.

We are looking for an inspirational Strategic Leader to continue our effective work and to meet new requirements outlined in the Families First for Children Programme.

As Assistant Director (Early Intervention and Prevention) you will lead the strategic development and delivery of early intervention and prevention services across the city. This includes the expansion of Family Hubs, and wholescale transformation aligned with the Families First programme and delivery of the Best Start for Life Strategy. You will play a key role in shaping this work to ensure the services we offer to families are timely and accessible to all. Success will rely on further developing multi disciplinary and partnership working to ensure services wrap around the needs of families at the right time to improve outcomes.

About the Candidate

We are looking for someone who, like us, has high aspirations for children, can work as part of a team and has a well developed leadership skill set. The role is pivotal to our neighbourhood and placed based working arrangements and you will ensure strategic priorities are delivered. You will make a distinct contribution to our commitment to ongoing, fast paced improvement drawing on your experience of continuous improvement, quality assurance, change management and innovation.

Manchester's ethos is to ensure that all the people in our city can thrive and are able to benefit from the opportunities that our economic growth brings. Our workforce is at the heart of this - and we have created the conditions, whereby colleagues have the skills, knowledge and ability to allow their careers to flourish. Working in Manchester gives you the chance to do things that you wouldn't get to do in other places, and it is a hugely exciting place to live and work.

We are looking for an experienced leader who will bring passion, drive and can forge strong relationships with children and their families, colleagues and partners, and exert influence across the city, and more importantly deliver high standards of practice. In return we will offer you plenty of challenges as well as opportunities to innovate and personally develop, working alongside a dedicated and talented set of colleagues who work collaboratively to deliver our vision and ambitions for the children and young people of Manchester.

About Us

We're the local council for one of the UK's most vibrant and diverse cities.

Working for Manchester is not just a job - it's an opportunity to contribute to a city that leads change and transforms lives. Whether strengthening communities or driving innovation in public services, you'll play a vital role in creating opportunities and shaping a brighter future for everyone.

Benefits we offer

• Generous holiday allowance - enjoy up to 26 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays. Increasing to 31 days after five years of local government service. Want more leave? You can purchase up to two additional weeks.
• Buzzing pension - you'll be enrolled in the UK's largest local government pension scheme, with plenty of options to top up your benefits. Includes life cover of three times your salary as a lump sum.
• Enhanced parental and carers leave - take advantage of our enhanced family leave options, designed to provide ample time for you to bond with your new born or support your family during critical life events.
• Brilliant perks - access a range of discounts, from saving on the weekly shop to holidays and days out with MCR+. Plus discounts on phone contracts, cycle to work scheme, free flu jabs and eye tests, and more.
• Learn and grow - we are dedicated to nurturing talent and providing you with the tools to thrive. Take part in a diverse set of learning opportunities, from workshops and training sessions through to apprenticeships and qualifications. All this begins with our comprehensive onboarding process.
• A Good Employment Charter member - we are committed to offering secure, flexible work and embedding fairness into everything we do. We review pay annually, recognize three trade unions, and are constantly working to offer the best possible health and wellbeing support throughout all stages of your working life.
• Up to 3 days volunteering leave - give back to the community with three days pro rate of paid volunteering leave, in addition to existing benefits.

Creating an Inclusive Team at Manchester City Council

At Manchester City Council we're dedicated to creating a workplace that truly reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We actively welcome applications from people of all ages and backgrounds, particularly from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities, Disabled people and young people.

Support During the Process

• Interview Adjustments - let us know if you need any adjustments to demonstrate your suitability during the interview.
• Accessible Formats - our ReciteMetool can be accessed through the "Accessibility tools" button at the top of our careers page. This tool offers features like text to speech, translation into multiple languages, and adjustable text size and colour to make our site more accessible for everyone.

Guaranteed Assessment Scheme

• Members of the Armed Forces, members or veterans
• Current or former care leavers
• Have a disability or long term condition

When You Join Us

We're a Disability Confident Employer, offering:

• A workplace adjustment hub which provides specialist support, advice and guidance to ensure you have the adjustments needed to thrive at work.
• Disabled Staff Network, Neurodiversity Staff Network and Mental Health Staff Network that provides a safe inclusive space to share experiences and influence council practice.
• A strong commitment to ensuring all information adheres to accessibility standards and that our workplaces are accessible and disability friendly.

What we will need from you if you're successful

In accordance with Home Office guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement of employment. This is not a role we consider to be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route based on Manchester City Council policy. Candidates are therefore encouraged to consider their own right to work options without the requirement for Manchester City Council sponsorship.

Pre Employment Checks

If you are successful in securing a position with us, the pre employment checks required will depend on the role. As a guide, these checks may include:

• Proof of Right to Work - you'll need to provide documentary evidence of your right to work in the UK. Please note, visa sponsorship is not guaranteed for this role.
• References - we'll require references from your current and previous employer(s).
• Proof of Qualifications - evidence of qualifications relevant to the role will be required.
• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check - a criminal record check may be necessary, depending on the role.
• Driving Licence - if the role requires driving, we'll need evidence of your valid driving licence.

Other relevant information

We want everyone to be able to be themselves at work and give their best. If you need additional support to undertake the duties of the role, we'll make every effort to source any necessary aids, adaptations or equipment. If, however, any task proves to be unachievable, we will look at redesigning parts of the role.

For more information about the role, please ensure that you read the role profile attached.

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